Some Hearts
by briinboots
Summary: When Ashley thinks Jared is cheating on her, she turns to her friends for support. Can one special friend show her the meaning of true love? ON HIATUS
1. Trailer

_**They had the perfect marriage…**_

Shows Ashley and Jared walking down the street hand-in-hand

"I love you." Jared kisses Ashley's head.

_**But then something changed…**_

"He'd come home at 2:30 in the morning for God's sake." Ashley tells Vanessa.

"I know. Where do you suppose he was?" Vanessa asks.

Ashley sighs. "I have no clue."

_**When she turns to her friends for support…**_

Lucas opens the door, revealing Ashley soaking wet. "What are you doing here?"

"I need help." Ashley tries not to cry.

_**Can one very special person…**_

"Thanks Luc." Ashley hugs Lucas at an airport. "I couldn't have done it without you."

_**Show her the meaning of true love…**_

"I love you." Lucas tells Ashley. "I know that it's too late, but I just needed you to know."

"Luc." She calls as he walks away.

_**Or will certain people…**_

"Jared, what are you doing here?" Ashley asks.

"I need to talk to you."

"You had your chance." Ashley shuts the door in his face.

_**Or situations get in the way…**_

"I'm pregnant." Ashley tells Lucas. "With Jared's baby."

"That's great!" Lucas hugs her.

"You're not mad?" Ashley asks.

"Why would I be mad?"

Ashley pulls up her sleeve, revealing a large bruise. "Because he was."

* * *

_**Starring…**_

**Ashley Tisdale**

Shows Ashley sitting at an airport, staring out the window

**Jared Murillo**

Shows Jared talking on a cell phone

**Zac Efron**

Shows Zac hugging Ashley

**Vanessa Hudgens**

Shows Vanessa on a cell phone

**Corbin Bleu**

Shows Corbin running through an airport

**Monique Coleman**

Shows Monique holding a crying Ashley

_**And**_

**Lucas Grabeel**

Shows Lucas looking shocked

* * *

The author that brought you _HumuHumunuKunuKupua'A_ now presents

* * *

_Some Hearts_

* * *

Coming soon to a computer near you!

* * *

**A/N: I already have a Gilmore Girls story going, but several people have been begging me to do a full-length Lashley story, so here you are! I welcome reviews(hint, hint, lol) and constructive critisim. I just want to make it clear that I do kinda like Jared since he and Ashley seem to get along so well, but I'm just a fangirl, what do I know? lol BTW- I'm thinking of changing my penname, so don't be surprised if it gets changed, I will tell you though. Anyway, I'm ranting, that tends to happen when you don't get enough sleep and the sleep that you do get is filled with the Jonas Brothers(Yay! lol)...**

**Love you all! **

**Briannen**


	2. Chapter 1

Ashley Tisdale-Murillo lay in her bed staring at the clock. '_Wives tales were right_' she reflected. '_A watched clock never ticks_'. Her hand strayed instinctively to her abdomen. Tonight had been the night she was going to tell her husband she was pregnant, she had planned it all out, only to have him call and cancel. The clock's numbers changed to tell her it was 2:35 in the morning. A door opened downstairs and she hurried quietly down the stairs. She saw her husband shutting the door, his back to her, talking softly on his cell phone. "I'll see you tomorrow. Yeah, I love you too. Bye."

Ashley made her presence known. "Who was that, honey?" Jared jumped, her voice was loud in the quiet of the living room.

"Um, my," He broke off, staring at her. "What are you still doing up?"

"Waiting for you." Ashley crossed her arms over her chest against the cold air. "But anyway, who was that on the phone?"

"My mom." Jared said quickly.

"Your mom's in town? I'd love to see her." Ashley told him.

"She's not in town. What makes you say that?" Jared asked.

"'I'll see you tomorrow.'" Ashley quoted.

"I'm um, flying out there tomorrow." Jared said nervously.

"Really? What for?" Ashley leaned against the doorframe.

"To see her." Jared said it like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Really." Ashley said disbelief obvious in her voice.

"Yeah." Jared replied.

"What about filming?" Ashley asked. Jared was a backup dancer in a remake of _'Grease'_.

"We don't have it tomorrow." Jared told her, pushing past her to go upstairs.

"Jared, Aaron called earlier to remind you to come tomorrow." Her sentence stopped him.

"He called my cell to tell me it was canceled." Jared told her without making eye contact.

"Why?" Ashley inquired.

"He didn't tell me." Jared continued upstairs, Ashley following him.

"Okay." Ashley dismissed her suspicions. She turned around to turn off the light. "I'm going," She looked behind her, Jared was gone. "To bed." She sighed to an empty hallway.

Ashley lay awake several hours later, not being able to go to sleep. She listened to Jared's even breathing and wondered what he was hiding from her. The grandfather clock downstairs chimed six and Jared's alarm went off. Her husband groaned and slammed at the alarm which quit beeping obediently. Ashley propped herself on her elbow and turned to Jared. "What time is your flight?"

"I don't remember." He grunted as morning sickness came over Ashley like a wave and she rushed to the bathroom. As she leaned over the toilet, holding her hair back, he appeared in the doorway. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." She managed. When she finished she leaned against the bathtub and struggled not to cry. Jared observed her from the doorway. She gave up and let herself cry, cry for her lost marriage, for her baby, and for her husband. Jared knelt beside her.

"What's wrong?" He asked, a gentleness in his voice that she had not heard for months.

"Nothing. Everything." Ashley leaned against him sobbing.

"Why don't you tell me?" Jared asked.

"You need to catch your flight." Ashley murmured, standing up and walking away, leaving her husband in the bathroom looking extremely confused.

* * *

"I just couldn't tell him." Ashley told her old friend Vanessa Hudgens-Efron later that day. "He'd come home at 2:30 for God's sake."

_"I know. Where do you suppose he was?"_ Vanessa asked sympathetically.

"I have no clue." Ashley admitted, holding the phone closer to her ear as if she could make her best friend appear beside her.

_"I'm sorry."_ Vanessa sounded like she meant it, though she had never really approved of Jared.

"Thanks Ness. That means a lot." Ashley said sadly.

_"So, have you been to the doctor yet?"_ Vanessa tactfully changed the subject.

"Not yet, but I'm planning on it soon." Ashley's hand went to her stomach almost as if she could feel her baby beneath.

_"So, do you want to come over?"_ Vanessa and Zac lived about five minutes away from Ashley and Jared. They had all stayed in touch with the other cast members: Corbin had stopped acting, married fashion designer Melanie James and they were living in L.A. a little over half an hour from Jared and Ashley, while Melanie designed. Monique was single and had retired from acting and living in Colorado after writing a best-selling book about her experiences on the two _High School Musicals_ and _Dancing With the Stars_. Lucas was single as well, living in L.A. though he was close, the cast rarely saw him and still acting some, though not as much as Vanessa and Zac.

"No thanks." Ashley declined. "I think I'll stay here."

_"Okay, but let me know if you need anything, okay?"_ Vanessa asked.

"Course. Thanks Ness." The two friends said goodbye and hung up. Ashley sat on the couch for a minute, before dialing a well known number.

* * *

_"Hello?"_ He sounded slightly out of breath.

"Hey honey, it's me." She said sweetly. "Where are you?"

_"Um, the airport."_ Jared sounded uncomfortable.

"But you left for the airport three hours ago." Ashley reminded him.

_"My flight was delayed."_ A relieved tone crept into his voice.

"Oh." Ashley broke up as a female voice was heard in the background. "What was that?"

_"Loudspeaker."_ A yelp was heard from the other line.

"Okay." Ashley fiddled with the blanket over the back of the couch. "Call me when you get there?"

_"Sure. I have to go."_ Jared's breath hitched.

"I love-." A click was heard before she could finish the sentence. "You." She sighed, hanging up. Ashley fiddled with the diamond and gold band on her left ring finger before taking it off and throwing it at the wall. '_It's just hormones,_' She told herself, picking up her ring. '_He's not cheating, he wouldn't do that. Right?'_ She asked herself, before heading upstairs, yawning widely.

* * *

Several hours later she woke up to her phone ringing shrilly. "Hello?" She answered sleepily.

_"Hey Ash."_ Zac Efron's warm voice floated through the line.

"You woke me up." Ashley rolled on her side to check the time. "It's already five?" She asked.

_"Yeah, and we have that live press conference for the new movie, remember?"_ Zac and Ashley had co-starred in '_Wicked_', which was set to premiere the next day.

"Crap!" Ashley leapt out of bed, running to her closets.

_"Hurry!"_ Zac called, hanging up.

* * *

Ashley arrived at the press conference just in time. "You okay?" Vanessa asked, concerned at her friend's white face.

"I'm fine." Ashley replied, touching her makeup.

Ashley and Zac took their seats to the cheers of the crowd. "Welcome guys." Their interviewer said, a fake smile on her face.

"Thanks." Ashley's smile hid the laughter that was about surface. "It's good to be here."

"What she said." Zac teased, pointing at Ashley.

"So, how was it co-starring with each other again?" The interviewer asked, several questions later.

"Awful, horrible, get him out of my sight." Ashley joked, pushing Zac away. "Seriously I'm just kidding, Zac's awesome, it was amazing working together, again."

"Yeah, as if I didn't see enough of Ashley at our house, I got to see her every day as well." Zac retaliated.

"Cruel, I'm hurt." Ashley faked.

The interviewer laughed a high-pitched, false laugh, making Ashley wince involuntarily. "So Ashley, we know Vanessa's backstage, where's your significant other?"

Ashley flushed nervously. "Jared is visiting his mother right now while the backup dancers for _'Grease'_ are on a break."

"I bet you miss him." The interviewer said slyly.

"I do, but it's nice to have the house all to myself sometimes." _Not that I need that right now_, Ashley thought sadly.

The interviewer's voice brought her back. "So, Ashley, what can you tell us about this picture?"

The room darkened and Ashley's stomach dropped. The picture was Jared at a restaurant with a woman, Ashley didn't know, but the public needn't know that. "That's a friend of mine." She invented wildly. "Jared threw me a surprise party and they planned it together."

The interviewer seemed disappointed. "What about this one?" She asked. This picture was of Jared opening the front door, looking over his shoulder at the photographer. "The reporter tells us it was taken around 2 in the morning yesterday."

Ashley jumped as Zac took her hand, letting her know he was there for her. "Jared was out with some friends yesterday before he flew home to see his mother." That one wasn't a lie, as far as she knew, that's what he had told her.

"And we have one more!" The interviewer sounded excited. The next one showed Ashley dressed up at a restaurant, all alone, fiddling with a napkin.

"Jared and I had set up a date, but he had something up at the last minute." Ashley squeezed Zac's hand for support as the interviewer thanked them and they left. As soon as they reached backstage, Vanessa hugged Ashley tightly.

"You were great." She told Ashley.

Ashley sighed. "Thanks. I just-" She searched for the right words. "I want to know how they got those pictures."

"You want to come stay with us?" Vanessa offered again.

"No thanks, I think I'm going to go home, eat, and go to bed. I'm exhausted." Ashley said, hugging Vanessa, then Zac. "But thanks guys."

* * *

The Efrons observed her as she walked away, wearily pushing eager reporters away. When Ashley reached her house, she headed straight to the kitchen, pulling out everything she could find. After eating, she went upstairs and turned on the TV, sighing out loud when the interview showed up. "'Ashley, what can you tell us about this picture'." Ashley mimicked the interviewer. When the first picture showed up, she paused it, thanking God for her TiVo. She still didn't recognize the woman, though the man was certainly Jared. Pulling out her phone, she quickly called her husband.

"_Hi, it's Jared, I'm not here, so leave a message._"

Ashley sighed. "Hey, it's me, um, I was just saying hi, and," She took a deep breath, hating herself for what she was about to do. "And, I had something to tell you and a couple questions to ask. Anyway, just call me back." She hung up, screaming in frustration at the interviewer. Several minutes later she was asleep while the interviewer chattered on about the pictures.

* * *

When Zac and Vanessa entered her house with the spare key, they heard someone sobbing upstairs. "Ashley." They breathed together and hurried up to their friend's bedroom.

"Ash, wake up." Vanessa shook her friend gently, wiping away the tears that cascaded down her friend's face. Ashley jumped when she woke up and found Vanessa beside her bed.

"What are you doing here?" She asked, wiping her face hurriedly.

"We came to check on you." Zac answered, walking in. "And I'm glad we did."

Ashley smiled sadly. "I'm fine guys, seriously." She raced to the adjoining bathroom, feeling sick. Vanessa rubbed her back and held her hair away as Ashley retched. After Ashley brushed her teeth and crawled back in bed, curling in a ball.

"Do you want me to stay with you?" Vanessa asked.

Ashley smiled weakly, knowing they wouldn't take no for an answer. "Please?" She begged. Zac sat at her feet and looked at her with obvious concern.

"You look horrible." He said frankly.

"That's a nice thing to tell a pregnant woman." Ashley teased, sitting up and smacking him on the head.

"Do you want me to put in a movie?" Vanessa asked, kneeling in front of the video cabinet.

"Sweet Home Alabama!" Ashley cheered, making Zac groan.

"You girls watch that all the time!" He complained.

"You don't have to stay." Ashley retorted.

"Someone has to stay and make sure you eat right." Zac was a well-known health nut and frequently tried to get Vanessa and Ashley converted, much to their complaints.

"Okay, then Sweet Home Alabama it is!" Vanessa inserted the DVD and climbed beside Ashley as Zac stretched himself at their feet.

"This part is so sweet." Ashley sighed in the middle of movie.

"I know." Vanessa rested her head against Ashley's shoulder.

"Oh my god, he's soo hot!" Zac mimicked.

"It's Zac Efron!" Ashley retaliated. "Will you marry me? Will you give me an autograph?"

"I'd marry you, but my wife might be a little mad." Zac teased.

"Darn right." Vanessa said fiercely.

"Help." Ashley tried to look small.

"I'll rescue you!" Zac said heroically, not moving.

"Okay." Ashley pointed at him. "To do that, you'd actually need to move."

"Okay then, I won't rescue you." Zac groaned as both women propped their feet on his back.

"Shut up and watch the movie." Vanessa told him, faking sternness.

"Or don't, it's your choice." Ashley teased, leaning against Vanessa's shoulder sleepily.

"I feel loved." Zac said sarcastically.

"You are." Ashley and Vanessa said together, then looked at each other and giggled.

That night, Ashley and Vanessa lay curled up together, Zac on the other side of Vanessa, the three of them slightly squished in the king-size bed. Ashley lay awake, silent tears rolling down her face. '_Why doesn't he love me?_' She asked herself for the third time, sobs starting to rack her body. She rolled over to look at her two friends, Vanessa curled into Zac, his face on her neck, arm over her waist. She couldn't remember the last time Jared had held her like that. '_Three months ago, the night you became pregnant._' Her brain reminded her. She got out of bed, being careful not to disturb her friends and pulled on sweatpants and a tank top, slipping quietly out of the house. She walked to the beach quickly, her bare feet welcoming the warmth of the asphalt that paved the road.

Digging her feet into the sand, she walked to the ocean's edge, just out of reach of the waves. She watched as the sun peaked over the horizon, thinking back on all of the mornings spent here, with, and without Jared. Eventually her tears dried and the sun gleamed across the water. Her stomach grumbled unhappily so she wandered over to the Starbucks on the edge of the sand and satisfied her hunger with a banana-nut muffin. Walking back to the waterline, the tide nipped at her toes as she flicked pieces of the muffin at seagulls. '_Jared would love this_', She thought sadly, resting a hand on her stomach. A single tear dripped down her cheek, splashing in the water. After an hour of just standing and watching the water, Ashley headed back to her house, praying her friends were still asleep and wouldn't notice her absence.


	3. Chapter 2

Ashley sat up straight in bed that night, hearing a thump on the door. Suddenly she wished Zac was there to protect her. She had stubbornly sent the Efrons home and now she regretted it. She crept quietly downstairs, thanking G-d she was a light sleeper. She opened the door a crack and pulled it open fully, feeling like she had been kicked in the stomach at the sight before her. A sob broke from her, startling the two people in the doorway. She stumbled backward, falling on the couch when the back of her knees hit it and her legs buckled.

"Ashley." Jared said, moving toward her, hands outstretched, the woman he'd been kissing was standing uncomfortably in the doorway.

"Get away from me." Ashley looked almost possessed as she glared at him, fire roaring in her brown eyes.

"Ashley." He repeated, coming closer.

"Get away from me!" She shook from the sobs that were wracking her body.

"Ashley, I'm sorry." He tried hesitantly.

"Bull." Ashley rejected harshly.

"Ash-" Ashley cut him off quickly.

"It's Ashley and how long?" She yelled, standing up.

"I'm sor-" Ashley cut his sentence off again.

"How long, Jared?" She shrieked, her hair hanging around her face, giving her a look of a mad sea goddess or something.

"A year." He muttered, staring at the floor.

"A year?" Ashley whispered, sinking to the floor. Jared knelt down beside her, putting a hand on her arm, which she instantly shook off. "Don't touch me." She said, the venom in her voice making him back away. She stood, wiping away her tears. "I'm going to Vanessa's, get your stuff out of here by tomorrow afternoon." She grabbed her keys and pushed past the woman in the door frame and ran out to her car, starting it and driving to Vanessa and Zac's, ignoring the fact it was about 4 in the morning.

* * *

"Open up." She sobbed, knocking loudly, then sinking to the floor again.

"What's wrong?" Zac stood above her, looking extremely concerned.

"He cheated." She started to shake again, partly from the chilly California night air and part from the shock of the evening.

"Ash." He knelt in front of her, picking her up gently.

"Zac?" Vanessa came downstairs then seeing Ashley in Zac's arms, halted suddenly. Zac sat on the couch, still holding Ashley as she cried.

He brushed the air from her face. "Ashley, what happened?"

"Jared and last night and _her_!" Ashley stammered.

"Who's 'her'?" Vanessa asked, kneeling beside the couch.

"The woman from the pictures." Ashley hissed, not noticing Zac and Vanessa exchange a glance above her.

"Ashley, what were they doing?" Zac asked carefully.

"Making out against the door." Ashley got herself under control and forced out the story. "I heard a thump and went to check it out and found," She gestured vaguely. "Them."

"I'm so sorry." Vanessa propped her chin on the couch gazing at her friend.

"I guess I knew it was coming." Ashley sighed, wiping away the last of her tears. "He's been acting weird forever."

"How long?" Zac asked as Ashley stretched out on the rest of the couch, leaving her head in his lap.

"A year." An awkward silence followed as Zac and Vanessa processed the information. "I told him to move out by tomorrow afternoon."

"Wow." Vanessa said quietly.

"Yeah." Ashley yawned widely, reminding herself it was after 4.

"Go to bed." Vanessa shooed her toward the guest room. "You've had a long day and night."

"Thanks guys." Ashley smiled sadly and went into the guest room, closing the door behind her.

* * *

The next morning it took Ashley a minute to remember where she was. She winced when it all came flooding back and a second she was racing for the bathroom, morning sickness taking over. As soon as she was done, she flushed the toilet and wandered to the kitchen, not feeling hungry, but wanting to find her friends. "Good morning." She murmured.

"Hey." Vanessa and Zac stopped talking abruptly as she walked in the room.

"Hey." Ashley answered, glancing at them oddly and getting a glass of water.

"Are you hungry?" Vanessa offered.

"Nah." Ashley lied, ignoring the grumble of her stomach.

"Okay." Vanessa surveyed her, obviously not believing her friend.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the kitchen as Ashley took a seat. After a second, Vanessa broke it quietly. "Ashley you need to talk to him."

"No." Ashley said quickly.

"Ashley." Zac said softly. "Try it."

Ashley stood up. "Fine. I'll go and talk to _him_." She paused just in front of the door. "But if she's there, I'm leaving instantly."

Zac nodded. "Good."

* * *

Ashley stood in front of her house, leaning on the hood of her car, almost frightened to go in. After a minute, she gathered up her courage and unlocked the door after knocking briefly. "Jared?" She called quietly, skirting the boxes on the floor.

"Ashley?" Her husband appeared around the corner.

"Jared." Her tone froze over his name.

"What are you doing here?" He asked.

Ashley spread her arms, looking around the living room. "I'm not allowed to be at my house?"

"I didn't think you'd want to see me." Jared admitted.

"I don't." Ashley snapped. "Zac and Vanessa think I should."

"Well, Zac and Vanessa usually know what they're talking about." An awkward silence fell over the room.

Ashley broke it, sitting down on the couch and staring at her hands. "Why?"

"Well-" Jared looked at the collapsed form of his wife.

"Why, Jared?" Ashley asked sharply, hiding the tears in her eyes.

"I don't know." He lied, sitting next to her, his heart breaking when she moved as far away from him as she could.

"That's not an answer." Ashley pointed out, looking away from his steady gaze.

"You were gone all the time." Jared said honestly. "I never felt like I got to see you, or doing anything and so I found someone who was willing to pay attention to me."

"Then you should have talked to me!" Ashley struggled not to yell.

"Do you know how hard that was?" Jared raised his voice slightly.

"Did you even try?" Ashley let herself yell now.

"It's not that easy!" Jared yelled back as Ashley leapt to her feet, anger taking over.

"And how the hell would you know!" She shrieked.

"Because." He snapped.

"That's a five-year-old's answer." Ashley retorted sharply.

"Well that's the answer I'm giving, Ashley!" He yelled.

"Well that's bull!" She screamed. "I'm pregnant, Jared!"

He looked stunned. "What?"

"I'm pregnant." She repeated quietly. "That's what I was going to tell you three days ago."

"Ashley." He whispered.

"Don't." She hissed, backing away from the hand he tried to put on her arm. "Don't talk to me."

"I'll talk to you if I want!" He grabbed her arm as she spun away from him, holding it so tightly she yelped.

"Let go, Jared!" She shrieked, then stopped struggling as he just tightened his grip. "This is why I'm leaving you." She hissed, trying not to cry from the pain. "Because you hurt me and don't stop." She gave up and started to cry. "You just don't stop." When he didn't let go, she slapped him as hard as she could. When he let go, she bolted out of the house, running to her car and driving away.

Just driving.

* * *

**A/N: I know it took forever to get up, and I'm SO sorry. This chapter gave me a little bit of writer's block. Coughs and looks at Jonas Brothers picture Okay, so they may have helped...**

**I hope the next chapter will be up sooner, and remember, reviews always help. ;-) **

**Bop On-**

**Bri**


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys!! I'm SOO sorry it has taken so long!! We've been traveling a lot and I've been working on a Jonas Brothers story that's been soo much fun to write. But, now Some Hearts has all my focus!! Please review, because Joe Jonas and reviews make the world go 'round!! Bop On- Bri**

* * *

'_What am I doing here?_' Ashley asked herself, standing on _his_ doorstep. '_I haven't seen him in two years and I'm standing in front of his house. Ring the bell, Ashley._' When her hand hadn't moved, she repeated the sentence. '_Ashley, ring the bell!_' This time she did, wincing when she heard footsteps approaching.

Lucas Grabeel opened the door, revealing her soaking wet. "What are you doing here?"

"I need help." Ashley struggled not to cry.

He let her in immediately. "What's going on?"

She turned to face him. "I've told Jared to move out."

"What happened?" He asked, concern apparent in his voice.

"It's a long story." She sighed, following him into the living room.

"I've got time." Lucas pointed out.

"He'd been acting funny for weeks." She started the story.

"I'm so sorry." He said, hugging her when she was done.

"Thanks." She mumbled, wiping away the solitary tear that had slipped down her cheek, she bit her lip. "There's more."

"Wow." He teased. "Just when I thought your life couldn't get any crazier."

"I'm pregnant." Ashley blurted. "With Jared's baby."

"That's great!" He hugged her tightly.

"You're not mad?" Ashley asked.

"Why would I be mad?" He questioned, making her heart melt.

Ashley pulled up her sleeve, revealing a large bruise. "Because he was."

"Ashley!" Lucas gasped, taking her arm and studying the injury. "What happened?"

"I told him and he got mad." She shrugged. "Like I said, I told him to move out."

"That's abuse." He told her firmly.

"And he's moving out!" Ashley glared at him. "Just…I'm handling it, okay?" She took his hand, begging him to let her fight her own battles.

He sighed. "I don't like it, but okay."

Ashley kissed his cheek. "Thank you." She paused. "For everything."

"Anytime." He promised.

She smiled. "So, what's been happening with you?"

* * *

The two friends spent the next several hours catching up. Ashley jumped when the grandfather clock in the hall announced that it was eight. She blushed as her stomach rumbled. Lucas laughed, jumping up and helping her to her feet. "Let's find dinner."

"Let me get my sweater." She grabbed it and slipped her feet into flip-flops. "Come on." She insisted on driving her car and they started to look around.

"Chinese." Lucas suggested.

"Pizza." She replied.

This went on for several minutes until Lucas spotted an Italian restaurant. "Italian."

"Deal." She pulled in and they scanned the lot for a spot.

"There." Lucas pointed to an empty spot. Just as Ashley turned the wheel, another car slid in.

Ashley pulled a 'Sharpay' and gasped. "We're famous, give us the stupid spot!" She complained, driving around again. "Let's try this again." She grumbled.

"You're funny when you're mad." Lucas teased, laughing as she grabbed the spot and parked, sitting there pouting for several minutes.

"Okay, I'm hungry, let's go." She snatched her purse and locked the car behind them.

"It's going to be about twenty minutes, folks." The preppy waitress told them, seeming not to recognize them, for which Ashley was thankful. It could quickly become awkward if she and Lucas were spotted alone.

* * *

While they were waiting, the two started a game of 'Remember When', making the time fly by. "Right this way." The waitress led them to a corner table and told them someone would be with them in a minute.

Ashley opened the menu and scanned it, quickly making her decision. "One, two," She counted, noticing Lucas had set down his as well. During filming they had all said their choices at once, for no other reason than it was fun.

"Spaghetti." They said at the same time.

Ashley shook her head with a 'duh' expression. "I knew there was a reason we were best friends." She joked.

A shadow passed over Lucas's face so fast she wasn't sure she had seen it. "Well, you know how opposites attract…" He retaliated.

She gaped at him. "You're mean when you're hungry."

"I know." He smiled cheekily at her.

She propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her palms. "I saw 'Return to Halloweentown' on Disney the other night."

"Did you watch it?" He questioned, mimicking her pose.

"Only during the commercials when the Jonas Brothers were on." She teased. He pulled out his phone and scrolled down the contacts until he found the one he was looking for. She took it when he handed it to her and laughed when she saw he selected 'Kevin Jonas'. "That would go well." She winced just imagining it. "'Yes, I'm Ashley Mur-," She paused uncomfortably, then cleared her throat continuing. "'I'm Ashley Tisdale and you don't know me, but I'm a huge fan.'" She shook her head and handed him back his phone. "I don't think so."

"Well you know…" Lucas broke off as the waitress appeared, they placed their orders quickly and looked at each other. Ashley fiddled with her napkin, as silence settled over them both.

"Anyways." She trailed off as a little girl approached them, a pen and a piece of paper in her hand.

"Hi." She said nervously, looking to be about nine. "Um, can I have your autographs?"

Lucas smiled kindly, taking the pen and paper, just before he put the first mark, he paused. "What's your name?"

"Lucy." The girl said, looking as if she was about to faint.

Ashley grinned as Lucas finished writing a note and handing her the paper. She glanced down at what he wrote: '_Lucy, fans like you are our life. Thanks for supporting us. Love, Lucas.'_ She looked up at him and they exchanged smiles. She scribbled a similar note and gave the paper back to Lucy. "Thanks." Lucy said, clutching the paper to her and going back to her table.

"I love doing that." Lucas commented, watching the girl's family ooh and ahh over her note.

Ashley looked at him. "What?"

"Making some little kid's day like that." He explained, turning back to her.

She smiled. "It's nice to know we've made a difference, isn't it?"

"Yeah." Then he corrected himself. "It's nice to know our movies have made a difference. HSM especially."

"I like knowing that we helped." Ashley admitted.

"Me too." He agreed.

"It's special." Ashley's thoughts drifted to the Make-A-Wish kids that visited the set of HSM2.

"You're thinking about Make-A-Wish aren't you?" Lucas read her face easily.

She smiled, snapping out of her day-dreams. "How did you know?"

"You relax and you get this…expression." He struggled to describe it. "It's just something you do." He shrugged.

She made a face. "Huh."

"Very intelligent, Ash." Lucas teased her gently.

She stuck her tongue out at him as their food arrived. "You're just jealous."

He picked up his fork, digging into the plate in front of him. "Of what?"

She gave him the conceited Sharpay expression. "My beauty, of course."

Lucas laughed, leaning forward and wiping off a spot of sauce that had flicked onto her face. "Of your sauce freckles and noodle hair?"

She gasped playfully. "Oh no you didn't."

He cracked up. "Oh yes I did."

She glanced around to see the restaurant mostly empty and flicked some sauce at him, it landed in his sandy hair, making her laugh. He glanced around, mocking her earlier action, then threw a noodle at her, smiling as it landed on her head, falling in front of her eyes. "Gross!" She shrieked, flinging it back at him.

"Gross!" He mimicked in a 'Barbie' voice, making her stare at him.

"You are mean, Lucas Grabeel." She said, shaking her head at him, as he finished the last of his meal. "Dang, you eat fast."

"Maybe you just eat slow." He retorted.

"I do not!" She protested.

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Do too!"

"Do not!"

"Children!" The waitress made them both jump guiltily. "Would you like your check?"

"Yes please." Ashley stared at her plate, afraid she would laugh if she looked at the waitress. As soon as she was gone, Ashley and Lucas burst into laughter.

"That wasn't embarrassing at all." He said sarcastically.

"The look on the waitress's face!" Ashley snickered.

"We should soo do it again." Lucas teased, putting on a Valley Girl accent.

Ashley shook her head at him. "You scare me."

"Aww, love you too Ash." He retorted.

Ashley blushed, knowing he didn't mean it like _that_. "Anyway…"She cleared her throat, sitting up and wiping up all the sauce they had spilled. "When were you last at Zac and Nessa's?"

Lucas shrugged. "About three years ago, I guess."

She gaped at him. "You're overdue for a visit mister!"

He smiled and signed the receipt that the waitress brought. "I know."

Ashley signed hers and handed it back. "Come on." She stood, swinging her purse onto her shoulder and grabbing her jacket.

Lucas followed her out to the parking lot. "Where's your car?"

"I don't…" Ashley cursed under her breath and walked around the building to scan the other side of the lot. "It's not here!"


End file.
